1
as in reluctance
a lack of willingness or desire to do or accept something
his appointment to the superintendency was confirmed by the school board without the least hesitancy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hesitation
a state or an instance of temporary inaction because of uncertainty about the right course of action
his hesitancy in pulling over into the next lane while he had a chance resulted in him missing his exit
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of hesitancy
There’s a fight ahead, and Jacob’s hesitancy to accept the changing times likely won’t be his ally in it.
—
Hunter Ingram, Variety, 23 Feb. 2025
Zoom out: The effort comes as some Republicans express hesitancy about Chavez-DeRemer.
—Stef W. Kight, Axios, 30 Jan. 2025
Some of the hesitancy toward vaccines can be attributed to a swarm of misinformation on social media and the internet, which, in many instances, has overshadowed public health campaigns.
—Sabrina Malhi The Washington Post, arkansasonline.com, 30 Nov. 2024
And so there’s been no hesitancy with me sending you the Final Draft file.
—Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hesitancy
Hunter Ingram, Variety, 23 Feb. 2025
Zoom out: The effort comes as some Republicans express hesitancy about Chavez-DeRemer.
—Stef W. Kight, Axios, 30 Jan. 2025
Some of the hesitancy toward vaccines can be attributed to a swarm of misinformation on social media and the internet, which, in many instances, has overshadowed public health campaigns.
—Sabrina Malhi The Washington Post, arkansasonline.com, 30 Nov. 2024
And so there’s been no hesitancy with me sending you the Final Draft file.
—Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hesitancy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hesitancy
Noun
-
Here, technology can help traditional sports but there is a strong reluctance to change the essence of sport itself.—
John Cairney,
Sportico.com,
27 Feb. 2025
-
Blame it on the mass tourism that has led to overcrowded summer destinations and a reluctance among some savvier travelers to join the fray.—
Everett Potter,
Forbes,
26 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
The same hesitation existed with computers, the internet, and smartphones.—
Dr. Diane Hamilton,
Forbes,
10 Mar. 2025
-
TikTok Reacts Jensen's transformation sparked a wave of reactions in the comments section, with viewers split between admiration and hesitation.—
Russel Honoré,
Newsweek,
5 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
This patience and hesitance to pay up when the market looked good in early trading has served us well so far.—
Jeff Marks,
CNBC,
27 Feb. 2025
-
President-elect Trump is encountering some unlikely openness from Democrats — and hesitance and confusion from Republicans — with his talk of acquiring Greenland and the Panama Canal.—
Andrew Solender,
Axios,
9 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Take Breaks Throughout The Day Taking a pause every 50 minutes to relax, stretch, meditate or engage in something enjoyable has been a game-changer for me.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes,
5 Mar. 2025
-
The new tariffs on Canada and Mexico had previously been on a monthlong pause, and many critics hoped that they would be softened, or eliminated, before their deadline to resume.—
Kevin Breuninger,
CNBC,
5 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hesitancy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hesitancy. Accessed 14 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share